Presser foot for a sewing machine

ABSTRACT

The presser foot has a sole plate pivoted by an axle to a support attached to the presser bar. A portion of the sole plate behind the needle passage hole is upwardly retractable against the action of a spiral spring and is suspended from the axle. Stops, formed by a transverse rod fixed in the sole plate between the needle passage hole and the retractable portion and by an inner edge of the sole plate, limit the oscillation of the retractable portion. The spring is housed in the retractable portion and bears against the axle. Vertical grooves in the retractable portion act as vertical guides. The parts of the foot can be of plastics material.

in United States atertt 1 1111 3,724,406 Fresard et al. [4 1 Apr. 3, 1973 [s41 PRESSER FOOT FOR A SEWiNG 2,991,739 7/1961 Joa 12 235 MACHINE 2,298,296 1942 Ingwer ..112'/235 2,6 1,333 9 1952 R'tt ..ll 5 [75] lnventors: Marcel Fresard, Petit-Lancy; Jenn- I 1 er 2,23

I 5 r Geneva both of Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson wtzerlan Attorney-Emory L. Groff and Emory L. Groff, J r. [73] Assignee: Mefina S.A., Fribourg, Switzerland [22] Filed: May 21, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT I The presser foot has a sole plate pivoted by an axle to [21] Appl' a support attached to the presser bar. A portion of the sole plate behind the needle passage hole is upwardly Foreign Application Priority Data retractable against the action of a spiral spring and is suspended from the axle. Stops, formed by a trans- June 2,1970 Switzerland "8203/ verse rod fixed in the solc plate between the necdle passage hole and the retractable portion and by an Elf-(5| inner g of the sole plate limit the oscillation of the ['58] Fie'ld "i' 24o retractable portion. The spring is housed in the retractable portion and bears against the axle. Vertical grooves in the retractable portion act as vertical [56] References Cited guides. The parts of the foot can be of plastics materi- UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,932,269 4/1960 Kuhar ..1l2/235 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPRB ms 3. 724.406

INVENTORS AMHEL F/azsazr Jen/v- P/E/e/Pe GAB MEL being upwardly retractable against the action of a spiral spring.

Such presser feet are particularly useful for carrying out sewing of considerable thickness, such as binding stitching, for example.

The presser foot according to the invention is characterized in that this retractable portion is suspended at the pivoting axle, stop means limiting its oscillation, the spiral spring being engaged in a housing arranged in this retractable portion and supported against the axle.

There is described below, with the aid of the accompanying drawing, diagrammatically and purely by way of example, one embodiment of a presser foot according to the invention. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view, from below, of said embodiment; and

FIG. 2 shows a vertical section along the line II-II of FIG. 1.

The presser foot illustrated comprises a sole plate 1 pivoted by an axle 2 on a support 3 intended to be fixed against the presser bar of a sewing machine, by meansof its fixing yoke 4.

The sole plate 1 of this presser foot has in the usual manner a passage 5 for the needle as well as a slot 6 enabling the introduction of the thread on preparing the sewing machine for sewing. A portion of the sole plate 1, the portion disposed behind the needle passage hole 5, is upwardly retractable. In fact, the sole plate 1 has an opening 7 of generally rectangular shape within which is engaged the retractable portion 8 in the form of a block. This retractable portion 8 is suspended from the pivoting axle 2 by means of two lugs 9 which extend upwardly from the lower face of this portion 8. In fact,

-this retractable portion 8 has an upward extension,

which extension is terminated by the two lugs 9 and which has in its central portion a housing 10. In this housing 10 is arranged a spiral spring 11 resting by one of its ends on the bottom of the housing 10 and supported by its other end against the pivoting axle 2. This spring 11 therefore tends to hold the retractable portion 8 at the level of the lower face of the sole plate 1. However, the openings 12 arranged in the lugs 9 for the passage of the axle 2 are of elongated shape so as to enable upward displacement of the retractable portion 8, against the action of the spring 1 1.

A rod 13 is fixed transversally in the sole plate 1 between the needle passage hole 5 and the retractable portion 8. This rod 13 serves as a stop for the retractable portion 8 to limit its oscillating movement around the axle 2. It should be noted that one edge 14 of the sole plate 1 also constitutes a stop opposite the rod 13. These stops 13 and 14, as well as the elongated openings 12 arranged in the lugs 9, ensure guidance of the retractable portion 8 during its displacements in the vertical direction.

It should be noted that this rod 13 is also useful for the guidance of the thread thereby enabling wear of the rear edge of the passage 5 provided in the sole plate 1 to be avoided, which sole plate 1 is preferably made of synthetic material such as the material known as lasn'cs .for exarr le. p It will be un erstood without elaborating further from the view of FIG. 2 especially, that on executing a sewing stitch of considerable thickness, such as binding stitch, the portion 8 is driven back upwardly against the action of the spring 11 by the sewing in proportion to the execution of the latter by the needle. This upward displacement of the retractable portion 8, hence enables the principal portion of the lower face of the sole plate 1 to maintain contact with the parts to be sewn and to ensure holding the latter against the needle hole plate and against the feed dog device respectively.

Preferably, the retractable portion 8 is also made of a synthetic material, that is to say of so-called plastics material, of the same nature as that forming the sole plate 1.

Various changes and modifications can of course be envisaged in the embodiment described without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Presser foot for a sewing machine, said foot comprising a support adapted to be attached to the presser bar of the machine, a sole plate pivoted by an axle to said support and defining a needle passage hole, a portion of the sole plate situated behind the needle passage hole being mounted to retract upwardly against the action of a spiral spring, said retractable portion suspended from said pivoting axle in such a way that, when the presser foot is in its inactive position, the bottom face of said retractable portion of the sole plate remains flush with the bottom face of the surrounding parts of the bottom face of the sole plate, stop means limiting the oscillation of said retractable portion, said spiral spring engaged in a housing within said retractable portion and supported against said axle.

2. Presser foot according to claim 1, wherein the stop means comprise, on one hand, a rod fixed transversally in the sole plate between the needle passage hole and the retractable portion and, on the other hand, one edge of the sole plate.

3. Presser foot according to claim 1, wherein the retractable portion has at least one elongated opening through which it is suspended from said pivoting axle, said elongated opening cooperating with the stop means to ensure guidance of the retractable portion in the vertical direction.

4. Presser foot according to claim 2, wherein the retractable portion has at least one elongated opening through which it is suspended from said pivoting axle, said elongated opening cooperating with the stop means to ensure guidance of the retractable portion in the vertical direction.

5. Presser foot according to claim 4, wherein the sole plate and retractable portion 'are made of plastics material. 

1. Presser foot for a sewing machine, said foot comprising a support adapted to be attached to the presser bar of the machine, a sole plate pivoted by an axle to said support and defining a needle passage hole, a portion of the sole plate situated behind the needle passage hole being mounted to retract upwardly against the action of a spiral spring, said retractable portion suspended from said pivoting axle in such a way that, when the presser foot is in its inactive position, the bottom face of said retractable portion of the sole plate remains flush with the bottom face of the surrounding parts of the bottom face of the sole plate, stop means limiting the oscillation of said retractable portion, said spiral spring engaged in a housing within said retractable portion and supported against said axle.
 2. Presser foot according to claim 1, wherein the stop means comprise, on one hand, a rod fixed transversally in the sole plate between the needle passage hole and the retractable portion and, on the other hand, one edge of the sole plate.
 3. Presser foot according to claim 1, wherein the retractable portion has at least one elongated opening through which it is suspended from said pivoting axle, said elongated opening cooperating with the stop means to ensure guidance of the retractable portion in the vertical direction.
 4. Presser foot according to claim 2, wherein the retractable portion has at least one elongated opening through which it is suspended from said pivoting axle, said elongated opening cooperating with the stop means to ensure guidance of the retractable portion in the vertical direction.
 5. Presser foot according to claim 4, wherein the sole plate and retractable portion are made of plastics material. 